Golf:Ernie Els is expected to be back in action at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship in Tucson on Wednesday after a sore neck kept him out of last week's Northern Trust Open in Los Angeles.
Els, advised by doctors to take a week’s rest, is scheduled to meet American Ryder Cup player Jeff Overton in the opening round at Dove Mountain.
Japan’s Toru Taniguchi is the only player from the world’s top 64 not in the official draw. He withdrew with neck trouble and that puts first reserve Henrik Stenson, a former winner of the title, into a duel with world number one and top seed Lee Westwood.
There is only one other all-European clash on the first day, Scot Martin Laird against Italian Edoardo Molinari.
Fifth seed Graeme McDowell’s first assignment is against American Heath Slocum, while Rory McIlroy will take on another American in Jonathan Byrd. Pádraig Harrington faces a tough opener against former champion Geoff Ogilvy.
Official draw (seeded positions in brackets):
(1) Lee Westwood v (64) Henrik Stenson, (32) Nick Watney v (33) Anthony Kim, (16) Retief Goosen v (49) KJ Choi, (17) Francesco Molinari v (48) Ryan Moore, (8) Steve Stricker v (57) Matteo Manassero, (25) Charl Schwartzel v (40) Ryo Ishikawa, (9) Luke Donald v (56) Charley Hoffman, (24) Edoardo Molinari v (41) Martin Laird
(4) Phil Mickelson v (61) Brendan Jones, (29) Rickie Fowler v (36) Peter Hanson, (13) Matt Kuchar v (52) Anders Hansen, (20) Louis Oosthuizen v (45) Bo Van Pelt, (5) Graeme McDowell v (60) Heath Slocum, (28) Robert Allenby v (37) Ross Fisher, (12) Ian Poulter v (53) Stewart Cink, (21) Alvaro Quiros v (44) YE Yang
(2) Martin Kaymer v (63) Noh Seung-yul, (31) Zach Johnson v (34) Justin Rose, (15) Robert Karlsson v (50) Hiroyuki Fujita, (18) Hunter Mahan v (47) Sean O’Hair, (7) Rory McIlroy v (58) Jonathan Byrd, (26) Adam Scott v (39) Ben Crane, (10) Jim Furyk v (55) Ryan Palmer, (23) Miguel Angel Jimenez v (42) Yuta Ikeda
(3) Tiger Woods v (62) Thomas Bjorn, (30) Geoff Ogilvy v (35) Pádraig Harrington, (14) Dustin Johnson v (51) Mark Wilson, (19) Bubba Watson v (46) Bill Haas, (6) Paul Casey v (59) Richard Green, (27) Kim Kyung-tae v (38) Jason Day, (11) Ernie Els v (54) Jeff Overton, (22) Tim Clark v (43) Camilo Villegas
